His Resolve
by maalani
Summary: He wanted to protect her, but he failed. That girl, she may have been the key to everything. Sequel to "The Difference of a Small Human." Parental!RoyOC, Royai. AU. Random idea I had while watching 03 and Brotherhood again. Starts about a year before the main plot line and will continue into it.
1. Chapter 1

**As much as I wished I owned FMA, I don't. The original plot line and all characters outside of my OC belong to Hiromu Arakawa.**

* * *

The dark haired man sat next to the hospital bed looking every bit his rank but none of his age, the youngest Colonel in the history of the Amestrian military at only 28 years old, fisting the deep blue material of his uniform pant leg in his hand as his feet bounced up and down off the floor. The child, a girl who he thought had not truly been a child in years, laid on the bed in front of him, her eyes closed, still unconscious after the ordeal. The doctor said she would wake in her own time, that her body was healing, but she would be fine. He wanted to believe him.

The man turned to the door as he heard a pair of footsteps stop just inside the room. "They won't let you stay another night, Sir. Besides, it would be best for you to head home, shower and get a good night's rest."

He looked up with tired eyes at the blonde woman who had entered the room. Her amber eyes were soft, not an expression he was accustomed to seeing from his dedicated First Lieutenant, but one he was familiar with on occassion. Running his fingers back through his hair, he replied, "I guess you're right."

"It's not your fault, Colonel."

"But it is. It is in so many ways."

"You mean Ishval."

It was a statement, not a question, and their eyes met again. "Let's go."

"Yes, Sir."

 _He stood and watched his work as the buildings collapsed and dark smoke circulated through the air. No one said a word. What could they say? What could he say? These were their orders, his orders. This would effectively end the Ishvalan War of Extermination. His acts today would soon send their tired soldiers home, but he knew their lives would never be the same._

 _As the flames died down through part on their own and also his help, he stepped into the wasted inferno, confirming the destruction. His men waited behind, most too stunned to move having been their first time to see the Flame Alchemist at work, others sickened by the smell in the air and the tastes in their mouths. He could not blame them. They were not the ones who were around it day in and day out as he was. They did not have the luxury of immunity._

 _A final building that had yet to completely burn caught his eye, and he walked toward it carefully surveying the damage before a sound drew his attention inside. His heart quickened his pace as he took on a defensive, throwing back the ragged curtain on the door and stepping over the threshold. He saw nothing of significance when he looked around, but there was that sound once more. He followed it into a separate room where he froze to the spot at the sight before him._

 _Swallowing the bile that rose to the back of his throat, he stared at a small girl who gathered herself tight into a corner, her wide, red eyes watching him intently. He wanted to scream. He had his orders, exterminate the Ishvalan race, none in his path would be allowed to live, so why did fate drop a child right in front of him? How could he take this innocent life? His alchemy left him privledged to the fact that he did not always have the view of his victims' faces, but when he did, they had never been children. They had been grown men, warrior monks who tried to ambush their encampment the week before. There had even been an old friend from the academy a few years prior._

 _The room around him now grew silent, as if nothing else existed around him except the girl. Their eyes held each others, her's searching his for answers and his begging hers to forgive him for what he had to do. The time stretched on for what could have been hours, but in reality lasted only less than a minute. His gloves were once more in position, but his fingers refused to move. He shook from adrenaline, frustration, and hatred for what he had become, and he could not do it._

 _He lowered his hands and trudged ahead until he stood right above her. Kneeling down to her level, he noticed her shrink back, only natural to do such a thing given the circumstances, and sighed. "Are you hurt?"_

 _There was no reply for a moment, but he intended to wait until she finally shook her head. He had no way of telling whether she told him the truth or not, her tanned skin being plastered with dirt and the usual white hair of her race being stained with soot and grime, but he yielded her answer._

 _"Do you think you can stand?"_

 _He kept his voice soft as he spoke as to not startle her into a panic, and he found himself relieved when she confirmed she could. He watched as she slowly got to her feet, praying that his men indeed stayed behind and had not followed him into the aftermath. How long had he been gone now?_

 _"Good. Now go. Get out of here and run as far to the east as you can. This war will be over very soon. Right now, you'll have a clear path to escape."_

 _The girl narrowed her eyes questioning his motives, wondering if he would indeed kill her either way. She took a small step toward the door before asking, "But why?"_

 _"Because I have the opportunity to make a difference. The death of a child started this war and the life of a child will end it. Now go. Don't stop running until you no longer smell or see the smoke."_

He opened his eyes and sighed. There would be no chance of going back to sleep tonight. It had been so long since he had had any dreams of Ishval, not since Bria had come to live with him. Now that she was in the hospital, Roy Mustang, the 'hero of Ishval' dreamt again, and the dreams were worse than they were before. His brow was covered in sweat and the sheets were soaked as he kicked the comforter off of his body and onto the floor.

Maes Hughes crossed his mind, his best friend from the academy days who had become more of a brother to him when they ran back into each other during the war. He always had the best advice in any given situation, but calling in the middle of the night would not be the best idea. After all, his daughter Elicia had recently turned two, and the last thing he wanted to do was wake her and keep Gracia, Maes's wife up all night again.

Taking another deep breath, Roy stood and made his way to the small bathroom in the hall. A quick shower would do him good as the lieutenant had said, and now, he really did need it. Bria would be upset. The past few days, weeks even, he had neglected his own self-care. It was a wonder that Hawkeye had only now said something to him.

Did he blame himself? Of course. Who else was there to blame? If he had only... His fist hit the shower wall, and he shook it as a sharp pain coursed up his right arm.

"Dammit!"

The steaming water poured down over his shoulders and down his back as he cradled his fist in his other hand. Sure that it was not broken, he turned off the tap and stepped out, drying off and wrapping the towel around his waist. There was no point in staying there, he decided. Grabbing one of his uniforms, he quickly dressed, donned his trademark gloves and left his house, driving to Eastern Headquarters.

One in the morning. Five and a half hours before First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye would appear, six hours before Warrant Officer Vato Falman and Master Seargent Kain Fuery, six and a half hours before Second Lieutenant Heymans Breda, and six hours and 34 minutes before Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc. Visiting hours began at 1000 hours, and he had plenty of paperwork to catch up on after spending three days straight at Bria's bedside much to the dislike of the hospital staff and their stupid visitation policies. Being a Colonel only went so far however, and the moment she was out of critical condition, his rank could no longer be pulled. Besides, if he did not start on the paperwork that was piled up now, there was a chance he would be buried underneath it by the next morning.

It was something to get his mind off of other things at least, and he worked on it for the first time quite diligently without being under the first lieutenant's watchful eye. In fact, he had already made it through three whole stacks before she arrived, surprise etched on her face in only a way he would be able to tell before her expression returned to its neutral facade.

"You're here early, Colonel."

"If you remember correctly, I'm actually on time, but I could say the same for you, Lieutenant."

Riza removed her coat and hung it on the rack before replying. "I'm no earlier than my usual, Sir."

"Is that so?" Roy stole another glance up at her as he smirked playfully in her direction.

She caught it and shook her head. "You would have realized if you always arrived on time. Your work day starts at 0600, Sir, but you never arrive until at least 0630."

"Does it make sense to you that I would arrive before my bodyguard? We should arrive together."

"We would if you showed up when you were supposed to." Riza looked at him with a more serious expression on her face as she made her way to his desk. "Did you get any sleep, Colonel?"

Roy's face dropped again, and he shook his head as the conversation turned to a more serious tone. "Some but I can't stop thinking about it. She should be dead. So many times, she should be dead."

"But she's not. There must be a reason for it. Don't question what is. It does you no good to wonder 'what if.'"

"I do wonder though." Roy stood from the chair behind his desk and turned to face the window behind him that overlooked the grounds. "Do you know what would happen to her if the wrong people found out? I didn't protect her then only to hurt her now, but she's lying in a hospital bed, and I can't do anything! I'm more useless now than I am even on rainy days."

"You never did like the water," Riza replied with a gentle smile, an old memory in mind. "Colonel, even you know you're not completely useless on rainy days. I may not know much about alchemy, but I do know some. Water is made up of two parts hydrogen. Remove the oxygen and you have flammable gas. It may not be practical in an open space as it would be difficult to control, but your alchemy is still in play. You're doing what you can with the situation you've been given. Some things aren't practical for you to do, such as staying in the hospital 24 hours a day, but that doesn't make you useless because you can't."

The office was silent as Roy continued to stare out the window and Riza kept her eyes on him. He swallowed hard before grasping his hands behind his back and turning to face the lieutenant, his expression back to business around the office per usual. "As you can see, I've finished these stacks of paperwork already. I should be able to finish the rest of these by tomorrow morning."

Catching on, Riza added, "Of course, Sir, however, I shouldn't need to remind you that by 0900, your desk will be filled with at least another full stack of paperwork to be completed by the end of the week."

"But that's in two days!"

"Then don't put it off, Sir."

Roy's shoulders sagged as he pouted and went around to the front of his desk. "I have a meeting at 1000, Lieutenant. I've been told it will go all day. I'll get what I can done by then."

Sighing, Riza took the seat at her own desk after grabbing one of the stacks and a pen. "Then it's a good thing that I do happen to come in earlier than ordered, isn't it?"

"Heh." Roy grabbed another stack of his own and reseated himself at his desk. Quietly, but so she could hear, he replied, "Thank you."

* * *

 **A/N: Please leave a review, love or hate. They make me happy. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Time had slowed down. It must have because Roy's "meeting" seemed forever away. Each page of paper he read over and signed began to make less sense the further he worked through the stacks. The stacks felt endless. He grabbed one folder only for two more to appear in its previous place.

Hawkeye continued to help, forging his signature when necessary, something she had been doing for years now, but they would never admit to for obvious reasons. He trusted her judgement more than his own at this point. No, almost always over his own, but that was why he hired her to be his bodyguard and watch his back. He smiled softly at her as she studiously read over another page before setting it aside and grabbing another.

Havoc caught him from a side glance and smirked, perhaps the only one in the office that knew exactly what else there was between the Colonel and First Lieutenant. He had been there the longest, second to Hawkeye, and had unfortunately seen something not long after joining Roy's team that made him near want to puke. It was not until after engaging Roy about what he had seen that he understood, and his loyalty and respect for his commanding officer became unshakable.

The unlit cigarette in Havoc's mouth hung from his lips as it waved up and down. Hawkeye had forbade him from smoking inside the office, but just having that cigarette there helped ease his own mind. Although the Colonel appeared to be alright, Havoc knew better. He was still beating himself up over what had happened, and he was determined, as always, to set things right.

When it was finally 0945, Roy stood from his desk and walked to the other side of the room to put on his long, black coat. Havoc followed his lead, and Roy turned to face him. "Going somewhere, Havoc?"

"I'll drive."

"That won't be necessary. I'm capable of driving myself."

Riza watched the two of them. Everyone in the office knew where Roy was headed even if he had disguised it as a "work meeting." She stood from her seat and grabbed the papers she had finished to place them on Roy's desk. She did not face him when she spoke. "That may be so, Sir, but I would feel better if you allowed Havoc to accompany you since I need to remain here."

The unspoken words of 'to cover for you' lingered in the air, and Roy frowned. "Of course." He turned and opened the door, stepping out before waving along Havoc to follow.

The drive was mostly silent, Roy in the back and Havoc glancing back through the rearview mirror every now and then as he drove. When they reached the hospital, they stepped out, and Havoc followed him up to the door before stopping. "You're not coming?" Roy asked.

"I need a smoke. Plus, I figured you'd want some time alone. I'll check in later."

Roy nodded before going through the door and up to Bria's room. A nurse was in there at the time, and he poked his head in. "Can I come in?"

She looked back at him and smiled. "Colonel Mustang, of course. I had a feeling we'd be seeing you sooner rather than later today."

He stepped in and nodded once, his eyes going over to Bria's form under the sheets. "Any changes since last night?"

"Not yet. We've been giving her morphine every two hours to keep her comfortable, but unfortunately, it also has a sedating effect. The sleep still does her good. It helps give her body time to heal."

"I see. Has the doctor mentioned anything more about when she might regain consciousness?"

"It's still up to her. She only just recently came out of critical condition. Her injuries were very severe. It could be days for all we know." The nurse gave him a look of understanding before adding, "We're doing all we can to help her, but the more she rests, the better off she is for now."

"Right. Thank you."

The nurse then left Roy alone in the room, and he went to sit in the chair he had occupied for the past five days. He gently took Bria's warm hand in his before lying back in the chair and closing his eyes. They would kick him out in 10 hours, but he would be sitting right there until that time came, God help whoever tried to make him step out before then.

Havoc remained outside. He sat on the steps leading up to the door smoking one cigarette after the other. Bria would smack the cigarette right out of his mouth if she knew how many he had already had today. He laughed softly to himself. "Sorry, kid. Bad habits die hard I guess." He took his half smoked cigarette out of his mouth and threw it to the ground, putting it out with his boot.

Standing, he made his way inside and to Bria's room where he peered in to see Roy passed out at Bria's bedside. He sighed and resigned himself to guarding the door.

Riza continued working through the stacks of paper enlisting Breda's help after a short time as more paperwork kept coming through. She stifled a yawn before pinching the bridge of her nose as she felt a headache coming on. Roy crossed her mind. She knew he would be there until they forced him to leave at 2000 hours. She knew Havoc would most likely stay with him, she would shoot him if he did not.

The phone rang, and she momentarily startled. Within less than a second, she gathered herself and stood, heading to Roy's desk and answering. "Hello?"

"Hawkeye! What a pleasant surprise! Tell me, is Roy-?"

"Lieutenant Colonel, good afternoon," she said quickly cutting the excitable man off. "Actually, he is unavailable right now. There was a meeting he had to attend."

Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes feigned disappointment on the other end. "Too bad. Elicia learned a new word yesterday, and I was so excited to tell him all about it! Oh, perhaps you'd like to hear? I know you do! Well, she learned-"

"Sir, I am quite busy right now. The Colonel will be back in later this evening."

"I see." Hughes turned more serious. "Is he there?"

Riza picked up on his meaning. "Yes," she replied pausing for a moment before adding, "He's with Havoc."

"Good. Any update on the situation?"

"None as of yet, just that there's no longer any immediate concern. The Colonel is keeping his eyes open in case one was to arise."

"Let's hope it doesn't."

"Have you come across any new leads on your end, Sir?"

"No." His voice held a quiet frustration with the fact. Hughes continued, "Tell Roy I'll be in touch."

"Of course."

The phone went dead, and Riza placed the receiver back on the cradle. The rest of the office stared at her as she looked back at them and shook her head. The tension that filled the room weighed down even more.

 _The girl walked down the street as calmly as she could, but her heart pounded in her chest. Logically, she knew she was safe, but her emotions screamed at her that there was danger everywhere. She felt it the moment she stepped foot back into Amestris, something strange that she had not noticed previously, and also that of people's eyes._

 _She refused to make eye contact with those she passed fearing they would see through her carefully crafted mask. She tried to watch where she was going while keeping her head down and still not looking suspicious, but it did not stop her from bumping straight into a uniformed man. She briefly looked up, startled out of her thoughts, and mumbled an apology. However, what she saw was not what she had been expecting to see or who._

 _The man that stood before her narrowed his eyes, and she realized he was the same man who often haunted her dreams at night. She took a step back, and he took a step forward. "Do I..." he began, but she had already turned on her heel and started running the opposite direction. "Wait!"_

 _She felt him close behind her, chasing her down the street, and she made a quick turn to her left, disappearing into the crowd of onlookers that had stopped to watch the military that had been called out on an investigation, the investigation the man was leading. Catching her breath, she listened carefully to her surroundings and realizing that he had not followed her into the crowd, made her way out of it and back to the outskirts of the city._

 _The slums appeared before her, and she touched the circle hidden underneath her sleeves that she drew in on her arm earlier that morning, effectively activating it. A small light radiated from it and when it disappeared, the mask she wore disappeared with it, her eyes back to their natural red and her hair, a pale white. Making her way into the slums, she met up with the rest of her people before finding a place to sleep amongst them._

 _The next day, she was more careful. Her mask back in place, brown eyes and black hair appearing again, she made her way to the East City Library. Perhaps not the best of places to go, but if she wanted to know more, she had no choice. There were no military uniforms in sight as she entered the main doors, and she let out a breath she had not realized she was holding._

 _She quickly found what she was looking for and then sat down at an empty table, opening the book and beginning to read. A couple of hours had passed when she heard a loud voice behind her and turned around out of reflex to see who had caused it._

 _"Al! I found it!"_

 _"Quiet, brother. We're in a library, remember? Do you want to get us kicked out?"_

 _She stared at the owner of the second voice, a seven foot tall suit of armor, wondering why anyone would walk around wearing such a thing on a hot day like this one. That was when she realized, something was not right. The other boy, a blonde with a rather small stature, no more than five foot if even that, apologized to the armor as he rolled his eyes. She saw his gloves and narrowed her eyes further before focusing back on the other._

 _If she was reading it correctly, there was no body inside the metal. But that couldn't be right. A suit of armor couldn't just walk around on it's own. That was impossible. Or was it?_

 _The armor looked over in her direction, and she faced her book again hoping he had not seen her staring. Luck was apparently still not on her side because she heard him whisper to the blonde._

 _"Brother. Do we know her?"_

 _"Huh?"_

 _"That girl over there. She was staring at us."_

 _"Maybe she thinks your weird looking."_

 _"That's not nice, brother!"_

 _"Shh, we're in a library, remember," the blonde said imitating what the armor had said previously._

 _"I'm going to say hi."_

 _"Don't get too friendly, Al. You might scare her."_

 _She heard the heavy footfalls of metal coming up behind her, and her shoulders tensed, her breathing paused. When the sound stopped, she slowly looked at the armor who was now sitting right in front of her on the other side of the table._

 _"I'm Alphonse. I noticed you watching us, so I thought I'd introduce myself. I'm sorry if we disturbed you." Al looked over at the book she was reading before asking, "Oh. Are you an alchemist?"_

 _She shook her head. "Not really." Her voice was soft, and she cleared her throat before trying again. "I can do some basic alchemy, but that's all. I'm really only interested in it's origins here in Amestris." She paused. "Are you an alchemist?"_

 _"I am! My brother Ed is, too. He's actually a state alchemist."_

 _She looked back around at the blonde who was now sitting at a table similar to hers reading over a large textbook. Her heart skipped a beat. "He's a state alchemist? How old is he...?"_

 _"Well, brother is somewhat of a genius. He's only 12, but he's really very good."_

 _She realized there should be shock written all throughout her body, but nothing truly shocked her anymore. "Are you...?"_

 _"Me...? Oh no! No! Brother is much better at alchemy than I am." Al's hands waved back and forth as he spoke._

 _"I see." She kept an eye on Al's movements as she realized her earlier prediction had been correct. The way he sounded as he walked, his movements were too easy, the eyes that glowed as if lit by an alchemic reaction... If his brother was a state alchemist, could the military really be capable of something like this? Or was it something else entirely? "Can I ask you something?"_

 _"Um, sure."_

 _"Are you familiar with a state alchemist that knows how to control fire? He has these gloves with an array on them."_

 _"You must be meaning Colonel Mustang, the Flame Alchemist."_

 _"So you know him?"_

 _"He's the reason Brother became a state alchemist in the first place. Ed works under him."_

 _"He's in East City then?"_

 _Al nodded. "Yeah."_

 _"Then that was him," she said quietly to herself._

 _"You've met before then?"_

 _"You could say that. Alphonse, I hate to be an inconvience but do you think your brother could get a message to him for me?"_

 _"Of course. Brother has to report into him tomorrow, so it won't be a problem."_

 _"Could you tell him thank you for me."_

 _"Thank you?"_

 _"Yes."_

 _"Okay, but what's your name?"_

 _She smiled before picking up the book and placing it back on the shelf behind her. She could come back tomorrow. It wasn't safe anymore for her today. "Deliha."_

 _Edward and Alphonse Elric clammored through Eastern Headquarters, making their way to Colonel Mustang's office where Ed was to give a report of his findings from his first real mission he had been sent on in the coal mining town of Youswell. Things had happened and for the most part, everything turned out okay. Of course, the Colonel would probably not be too happy with the damage expenses he was bound to receive from a few events that had occurred before the two of them even arrived. Al had tried to tell his brother to keep a level head, but no one could tell the Fullmetal Alchemist to do anything. He was as stubborn as they came._

 _When they reached the office, Lieutenant Hawkeye greeted them and let Ed know the Colonel was waiting for him. While Ed spoke with the Colonel, Al hung out in the outer office with the rest of the team. The voices on the other side of the door that separated the two rooms got louder with each passing minute. Al listened to his brother shout that it hadn't been his fault, and at least he repaired the damages he could. The Colonel should be grateful the bill wasn't higher. It wasn't like he told the thief to come after him. He didn't do anything to deserve the need to defend himself._

 _Al sighed and apologized to Hawkeye who brushed it off kindly before the Colonel's door slammed open and Ed stormed out, slamming the door shut behind him._

 _"Edward."_

 _Ed stopped and turned to face Hawkeye as he crossed his arms in front of him. "I know, I know. Let's go Al before I go back and tell that bastard off."_

 _"Brother! The colonel is only trying to help us. You shouldn't say such things."_

 _"We have other objectives!"_

 _The private office door opened again, and Roy stepped through it. "Please don't shout anymore Fullmetal. You're making my head hurt. Go outside if you're going to yell."_

 _"Oh! Colonel!" Alphonse spoke up remembering. "I have a message for you. A girl named Daliha told me to thank you. She didn't say what for, just to tell you thank you."_

 _Roy's breath held as his eyes widened slightly at the message. "You're sure that was her name?"_

 _Hawkeye looked over at Roy, confusion etched on her face. "Colonel?"_

 _"That's what she said when I asked," Al answered._

 _"Right. Where did you see her?"_

 _"Yesterday at the library. She was looking into the origin of alchemy apparently."_

 _"Thank you." Roy moved passed the boys to the main door. "I'm going out for a bit Lieutenant. Take care of things here. You two should go back to the dorms for the night. I expect you to be on the first train out of here in the morning Fullmetal. That's an order."_

 _Ed crossed his arms again. "Whatever."_

 _Roy had left the office and the whole team looked at each other having no idea what was happening, Hawkeye having one conclusion reeling in her mind. It was the Deliha district Roy had been sent to in Ishval._

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Leave some love or hate. Whichever. Chapter 3 is in progress and near completion.**


	3. Chapter 3

_It was a hunch, but if that girl had been there yesterday, then perhaps she would be returning today to continue researching. He thought it over in his mind. Only a couple of days ago he had ran into a girl, not much older than Ed, who had looked very familiar, but he could not place her. Where had he seen her before? Could that have been possible, that it was the very same girl?_

 _A uniformed officer walked out of the library as he made his way up the steps outside. The officer quickly saluted him, and Roy recognized him before continuing on his way. When he entered the library, he immediately went to the circulation desk where one of the librarians worked on filing some cards. She turned and smiled as she saw him, and he smiled back, charm playing its way through._

 _"Good morning. I was hoping you could help me with something," Roy spoke smoothly._

 _The woman blushed before answering, "Of course, Colonel. What would that be?"_

 _"I was looking for a girl, around 12 or 13. She was seen with the Fullmetal Alchemist and his brother here yesterday. I was told she was interested in the origin of alchemy. Perhaps you've seen her?"_

 _"Oh yes. You're in luck. She came in about an hour ago. I believe I last saw her at a table near the back."_

 _"Thank you." Roy flashed another one of his grins at her before following her directions and quietly moving towards the back of the library, hoping not to scare the girl off again if it indeed was the same girl._

 _He found her with two books spread open on the floor, a notepad in one hand and a pen scribbling notes with her other. Her back was to him, and he approached her carefully before stepping behind her, kneeling, and grasping her shoulders gently. She was not running on him this time._

 _She stiffened before looking behind at him and her eyes widened, but he smiled. "I just want to talk. Please don't run," he said to her in the softest voice he could manage. He removed his hands from her shoulders and came around to sit in front of her, crossing his legs as he sat on the floor. "Al gave me your message."_

 _"Oh," was all she could manage._

 _"When you ran into me the other day, I thought you looked familiar, but I couldn't figure out where I knew you from. I'm still trying to figure it out even if the message did make it very clear. The hair I can understand on my own, but your eyes..."_

 _"It's a form of alchemy that I taught myself while I was in Xing."_

 _"Xing?" Surprise appeared on the young Colonel's face. "You went to Xing? Across the Eastern Desert?"_

 _"I only followed what you told me to do. I passed out at some point and traders found me on their way back from Amestris. They picked me up and one of them brought me into his family. I lived with them until not too long ago when I came back." She stared at her hands as the two of them were silent. Finally she spoke again and said, "Why did you want to talk to me?"_

 _Roy sighed. "I guess really, I just wanted to see if I was right. I had always wondered..." He watched the girl as she picked up her books and placed them on a table near her for the librarian to put back later. "Where are you going?"_

 _"There's no reason for you to detain me, is there? I need to head back." She closed her notepad as she spoke and placed it and her pen in one of her pant pockets._

 _"Head back where?"_

 _She paused a moment. She could not tell him where she was going. Sure, people probably knew that surviving Ishvalans lived in the slums, but no one ever talked about it. She would not deliberately divulge the information to the military. The less they knew about those that remained, the better. "Does it matter?"_

 _"Where are you staying?"_

 _The girl had turned away but turned back to him as he continued to question her. She frowned. "Why do you care?" In her mind, all she could think about was how he had destroyed her home. He may have saved her life, but he left her and her people with nowhere else to go except the slums or out of the country to any place that may take them. How dare he ask her something such as that._

 _"Look, I only want to help."_

 _"You've done enough! I said thank you now just leave me alone."_

 _Heads in the library turned toward the two of them at her outburst, and she dropped her head before running away from him and out of the library, leaving Roy standing there as if she had shot him with his own weapon._

 _"That went well..." he muttered to himself._

 _Roy left the library and began walking back toward headquarters. She would be long gone again by now, no use trying to find her at this moment. The walk was not far, but he was in his head the entire time. Had he said something wrong? It made sense she would hate him. Just because he had let her go and even thanked him didn't excuse anything that he did back in Ishval. He truly was a monster. What did he expect, for her to so easily forgive him for everything if he met up with her? Could she redeem him for all of the sins he committed back then? Such ignorance on his part._

"Huh?" Roy yawned as Havoc shook him awake.

"You should probably eat something, Boss, so I brought you some lunch," Havoc replied.

Roy blinked a couple of times at the sandwich that was held in front of his eyes before taking it. His stomach growled softly at the smell as he unwrapped it from its covering. "I guess I hadn't realized how hungry I was. Thanks Havoc."

"Sure thing. Need anything else? Coffee?"

"No, I'm fine."

Havoc gave his suprerior a quick salute before dismissing himself from the room. As he took his station back outside the door, he leaned the back of his head against the wall and sighed. The Colonel was never going to forgive himself, and the only one who would help him see reason this time around would be Bria. He would not be able to keep going like this for long. He'd end up in a hospital bed himself.

Roy picked at the sandwich Havoc had brought him, and eventually forced himself to finish it off. His appetite was absent even if his body was telling him that it needed food. Another yawn escaped, and he sighed thinking about Hawkeye. He felt bad for leaving her with everything, but he also knew she would understand. Maybe he should check in on her just to be safe.

He stood from his seat and threw out the sandwich wrappings as he opened the door. "Hey, Havoc."

"What's up, Boss?"

"I need you to contact Hawkeye. Find out if investigations has any new information on the case."

"Got it," Havoc replied before stepping away and down the hall to make the phone call.

Turning back into the room, Roy shut the door behind him and reseated himself in the chair. Her breathing had become more even, and that was a relief. Bria's heart was beating strong, and she was healing. That was all he needed to know so he could focus on apprehending those who did this to her. He grabbed her hand once more and squeezed it gently.

"How did we end up like this? I really am sorry."

Hours later, Havoc entered the room ready to take his commanding officer back to headquarters or home, whichever he preferred. He was shocked when walking in to see the girl's eyes open and staring at the sleeping Colonel next to her. She looked up at Havoc and gave a small smile.

"Hey kid," Havoc said to her quietly, hoping to not wake the colonel just yet. "How are you feeling? Should I get a nurse?"

"No, I'm okay," she replied, her voice rough from lack of use or perhaps from too much use. It was hard to tell anymore.

Gesturing to the colonel, Havoc moved closer to the bedside. "He refused to leave you. They finally kicked him out last night, but he's been here since they let him back in this morning. The boss hasn't been getting much sleep lately."

"I can tell."

Bria started coughing all of a sudden and Havoc stepped in closer to help her sit up. The sound startled Roy, and his eyes opened immediately and they widened as he looked at her. "You're finally awake," he said slowly in relief.

She looked back at him in confusion then at Havoc. "How long was I out?"

"At least five days," Havoc replied. "I think I am going to grab a nurse and let them know."

Roy nodded at him before turning back to Bria. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. I'm just in a lot of pain, but I can handle it. It's not overwhelming."

"That's probably the morphine."

"What happened? How did you find me?"

He looked at his hands as he answered. "There was a tip off from someone that had seen suspicious activity in the west side of town. We went to check it out not expecting to find members of the cell. We interrogated them and one of them was eventually persuaded to give up the location. Unfortunately, Bivens got away before we could detain him, and you were in bad shape. My first priority was to get you to the hospital. We're still tracking any leads that will help us find where he's hiding out at now."

"Oh. So he's still out there?"

"We'll find him. I won't let him take you again. I shouldn't have...If I hadn't done what I did, you wouldn't have even been in this mess!"

Bria looked over at him and frowned. "I'm not worried or scared if that's what you think. And don't do that. Don't start blaming yourself for something this stupid."

"How can you say it's stupid, Bri? You almost died."

"I'm fine. If he wanted me dead, he would've done it a lot sooner than later. There's more to it than you know."

Roy paused. "What do you mean?"

"It doesn't matter. It has nothing to do with you, so don't worry about it."

"Does it have to do with the case? If it can help us figure it out, then Bri, it does have to do with me. If it helps to keep you safe then-"

"It doesn't. If it did, I would tell you, but it doesn't. He was just after you because of your reputation, because of what happened two years ago, and he was using me as payback. That's all."

"Of course. They were partners, him and Ledger...Ledger was upset with a child becoming a state alchemist under my command."

"No, not him. Hawthorne though," Bria told him.

"Hawthorne?" Roy thought back for a moment before the name clicked. "He's ex-military, fought in Ishval, left after the war claiming he wouldn't cling to a military who murdered innocents. What does he have to do with this?"

"He was there."

"For someone who so strongly protested the war, what would he be doing with a violent terrorist group?"

"You already know they're trying to overthrow the military. They say there's more to it than the public knows, that even members of the military know."

"They told you this?"

"He was rambling. Some other alchemist was with him backing his claims." Bria paused before continuing softly. "Colonel, they found out somehow, but they knew."

Roy frowned. "Knew what?"

"About me." She sighed. "They asked me about why I was staying with you, why I would live with a murderer given what I was. It was the same as turning my back on my people and my god. How could they have known that?"

They were both silent and a minute later, the doctor walked in with Havoc. "Good to see you sitting up already. I'm Dr. Grayten. Are you in any pain?" The doctor moved closer to the bed, and Roy moved out of his way to give him better access.

"It's nothing. It's not too bad."

"I'll go ahead and space the morphine out to every four hours unless anything changes then. Do you mind if I check your vitals?"

Bria shook her head, and the doctor ran through the ordinary routine and was pleased with the results. He let them know that he would be back in the morning to check on her again but that for now, there was not much he could do. As long as she was conscious, that was a good thing, but to make sure she still got her rest to continue healing.

Roy thanked the doctor has he left, and Havoc turned to him. "They're going to be kicking you out again soon."

"It's okay," Bria spoke in. "I'll be fine. Besides, I'm really tired. I'm barely holding my eyes open."

"I'll be back in the morning," Roy said standing up, frustration lacing its way through.

"Mhm."

"I'll look into Hawthorne, and I'm stationing someone outside your room tonight. If he really is involved, I'm not taking any chances, especially if he has an alchemist with him."

"I told you, they won't be coming back for me. I was a means to an end, nothing more. That's not their objective. They only wanted the military to know that they were here."

"They accomplished that much." Roy leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Bria's forehead. "I'll see you in the morning."

She smiled. "Colonel?"

"Hm?"

"You should get some rest yourself. You'll worry Riza."

He balked only for a moment before smirking. "Right."

Havoc grinned at the comment before he was pushed out of the room by an irritated Roy.

* * *

 **A/N: Don't forget to review! Thanks for reading!**


End file.
